The Long White Cloud: Christchurch to Christchurch

Delve into the scenic delights of New Zealand with a small group of fellow explorers. Combine natural beauty with creative comforts as you overnight in the rainforests of Franz Josef at the foothills of Mount Cook and journey into the far south to the wild and pristine landscapes of Stewart Island.

This 12-day motorcoach tour is an intensive exploration of New Zealand, taking in all of its major islands and cities.

Christchurch is the largest city on the southern island of New Zealand with a population of just under 400,000. The city is still rebuilding from the earthquakes of 2010 and 2011 that devastated most of its historical sites. While the city remains in the process of redevelopment (with some great pop-up projects for urban explorers to discover), its Botanical Gardens, Canterbury Museum, and International Antarctic Centre are still great highlights, undamaged by the quakes.

From Christchurch head to Punakaiki on the TranzAlpine Train and see the famous Pancake Rocks at Dolomite Point. These limestone rock configurations on the coast turn into vertical blowholes at high tide. Continue on to Franz Josef Glacier, which explorer Julius von Haast named after the Emperor of Austria and Hungary in 1859. Close to Franz Josef is Mount Cook or Aoraki, the highest mountain in New Zealand. It’s a popular spot for experienced climbers due to its extreme difficulty.

In Queenstown on the shores of Lake Wakatipu in the Southern Aps, you can satisfy your wildest outdoor ambitions. Sky dive from airplanes, bungie jump from bridges or jet-ski across the waters. You can also slow down the pace by visiting the historic mining towns or vineyards around the valley, or by enjoying the many golf courses and spas in town. Nearby Milford Sound is one of the top travel destinations on the planet. This fjord in southwestern New Zealand is just stunning from Mitre Peak (Rahotu) to the open sea. No surprise Mitre Peak is the most photographed mountain in the country! In fact, Rudyard Kipling once dubbed Milford Sound as the Eighth Wonder of the World.

In New Zealand’s far south, Stewart Island is almost entirely a conservation area. Only 381 people live on the island, mostly in the sole settlement of Oban. The jungles of Rakivra National Park make up the rest. Stewart Island is the best place in the world to see the reclusive kiwi bird in its natural habitat.

Return to the mainland, sweeping in for a closer look at Mount Cook as you spend the night at Aoraki, just a few miles from the mountain’s peak. Return to Christchurch for your onward flight the following day.

Welcome to Christchurch

On arrival in Christchurch you will be transferred by private car to your hotel. Spend some time at leisure to relax or explore on your own. Perhaps visit the International Antarctic Centre or Orana Wildlife Park, New Zealand's only open-range zoo. This evening meet your Travel Director for dinner and a welcome drink.

Overlooking Cranmer Square and situated on the edge of tranquil Hagley Park, Hotel Montreal is Christchurch's newest luxury boutique hotel. Unique in design and beautifully finished, Hotel Montreal offers accommodation that is the perfect mix of refined elegance and modern sophistication. Contemporary art, delicious food and wine are all carefully orchestrated to provide a remarkable setting for your stay in Christchurch. Hotel Montreal provides an oasis for a calm, relaxed environment with outside areas to sit in the garden, or enjoy a game of croquet.

Facilities

Pool bar

Restaurant

Photo gallery

Christchurch - Punakaiki

All aboard the famous TranzAlpine train! Rated as one of the world's great scenic railway journeys, you'll travel across the Canterbury Plains through the Southern Alps. Then re-join your coach at Arthur's Pass and travel to Punakaiki to view the Pancake Rocks and Blowholes. You'll stay in an eco-friendly resort right on the waterfront. Enjoy dinner while watching the thundering surf at your door step!

Punakaiki Resort

The Punakaiki Resort is an eco-tourism hotel located in the Buller district between Greymouth, 30 minutes to the south and Westport which is 45 minutes to the north. Carefully designed to complement the stunning natural setting, it is situated close to Pancake Rocks and Blowhole ...

The Punakaiki Resort is an eco-tourism hotel located in the Buller district between Greymouth, 30 minutes to the south and Westport which is 45 minutes to the north. Carefully designed to complement the stunning natural setting, it is situated close to Pancake Rocks and Blowhole at Punakaiki and adjacent to Paparoa National Park. This hotel is a perfect choice for a leisure stay.

Facilities

Bar(s)

Daycare/Babysitting Service

Laundry facilities

Parking

Reception (24 hrs)

Restaurant(s)

Room Service

Wheelchair Accessible Rooms

Photo gallery

Punakaiki - Franz Josef

Today visit Hokitika, the heritage and cultural centre of the West Coast, for a greenstone (jade) jewellery demonstration by a local carver. Then visit the West Coast's newest attraction, the Treetop Walkway through the canopy of this lush rainforest. Stop at the gold-mining town of Ross en route to Franz Josef, where you'll take a guided tour to the viewing area at the mighty Franz Josef Glacier with a local expert glacier guide. Your eco-friendly accommodation is set amid native bush, with an emphasis on relaxation and rejuvenation. This evening, why not treat yourself to Franz Josef's local geothermal hot pools or perhaps a massage. Dinner is at the retreat.

Te Waonui Forest Retreat

A haven from the city rush, a foray into New Zealand's pristine wilderness - Te Waonui Forest Retreat is truly a place to relax and refresh. All focus has been on creating a healthy, environmentally safe habitat to maximise guests' wellbeing. With a natural, earthy ...

A haven from the city rush, a foray into New Zealand's pristine wilderness - Te Waonui Forest Retreat is truly a place to relax and refresh. All focus has been on creating a healthy, environmentally safe habitat to maximise guests' wellbeing. With a natural, earthy ambience and attentive service, there's no better place to take a deep breath and simply unwind.

Facilities

Bar

Concierge

Laundry facilities

Parking

Reception (24 hrs)

Restaurant

Room Service

Photo gallery

Franz Josef - Queenstown

You'll have the opportunity to see the glacier from the air on an optional scenic flight. Later today, travel over the Haast Pass and along the shores of Lakes Wanaka and Hawea, stopping at Makarora at lunchtime. Also stop to explore the historic gold-mining village of Arrowtown, followed by an orientation tour of Queenstown. Surrounded by majestic mountains and nestled on the shores of crystal clear Lake Wakatipu, Queenstown's scenery is inspiring. Tonight you'll stay at Millbrook Resort, set amid sparkling streams and rolling hills in the Southern Alps.

Millbrook Resort

Millbrook Queenstown's luxury accommodation combines a majestic location with outstanding facilities to create a unique and inviting destination. Millbrook is close enough for you to easily access the cosmopolitan buzz of Queenstown, but far enough away to enjoy the tranquillity and splendour of the alpine ...

Millbrook Queenstown's luxury accommodation combines a majestic location with outstanding facilities to create a unique and inviting destination. Millbrook is close enough for you to easily access the cosmopolitan buzz of Queenstown, but far enough away to enjoy the tranquillity and splendour of the alpine countryside. Millbrook offers beautifully appointed superior rooms, suites and villas are designed to complement the style of the region.

Facilities

Bar(s)

Bicycles

Business Centre

Conference Facilities

Daycare/Babysitting Service

Golf

Gym/Fitness Centre

Internet Access

Laundry facilities

Lounge(s)

Pool (s)

Restaurant(s)

Room Service

Sauna

Spa

Spa(Hot-tub)/Jacuzzi

Tennis

Photo gallery

Queenstown 'Free Time'

Explore exciting Queenstown your way! Take the opportunity to encounter a Queenstown legend and ride the Shotover Jet Boat or venture out on a 4WD Skippers Canyon Scenic Tour. If laid-back and relaxed is more your idea of fun then join a Wine Tour and sample some of Central Otago's award-winning wines, or visit our native birds at Queenstown's Kiwi Birdlife Park. Your AAT Kings Travel Director will assist you in booking all of your chosen optional experiences. Tonight you'll ride the Skyline Gondola to Bob’s Peak for dinner with a view overlooking stunning Queenstown, the awesome Remarkables and Lake Wakatipu.

Meal Plan

Breakfast and Highlight Dinner

Day6

Queenstown 'Free Time'

Make the most of your extended stay in Queenstown. Why not sit back and enjoy a peaceful cruise across Lake Wakatipu aboard New Zealand's oldest steamship, the TSS Earnslaw, to Walter Peak Station (Optional Experience - own expense). Otherwise, you could simply relax, shop or enjoy time at one of the many cafes and restaurants while soaking up the alpine views.

Meal Plan

Breakfast

Day7

Queenstown - Milford Sound

Travel south along the shores of Lake Wakatipu to Te Anau on the shores of the South Island's largest lake. Later you'll travel through the rainforest of World Heritage Fiordland National Park, sighting glaciers and mountain ranges before driving through the hand-hewn Homer Tunnel to the amazing Mirror Lake. Afterwards, walk to see the Chasm on your way into Milford Sound and take some time to kayak this majestic fiord, considered by many as the Eighth Wonder of the World. Tonight stay at the magical Milford Sound Lodge, with views of the Cleddau Valley.

Milford Sound Lodge

Taking the time to stay in Milford offers you a chance to enjoy the majestic beauty of the sound and the rainforest that surrounds it in the quiet before and after the crowds. But more than that it gives you time to truly experience a ...

Taking the time to stay in Milford offers you a chance to enjoy the majestic beauty of the sound and the rainforest that surrounds it in the quiet before and after the crowds. But more than that it gives you time to truly experience a very special place. Milford Sound is the perfect place to come if you are looking for adventure.

Facilities

Milford Sound - Stewart Island

This morning board your Southern Discoveries breakfast cruise out to the spectacular Tasman Sea. Later, it's on to the southern-most city in New Zealand, Invercargill. Board a ferry at Bluff and cruise to Stewart Island. With its clear, clean waters, lush rainforest, flora and fauna and unspoilt natural beauty, you'll get a glimpse of an enviable slower lifestyle. Dine at one of the cafes or meet the locals at the hotel.

Bay Motel Stewart Island

The Bay Motel is located in the centre of Halfmoon Bay, within easy walking distance of all amenities: shops, restaurants, post office, gym, museum, information centre and booking office. The motel offers 12 guestrooms, which are well furnished and equipped with fridge and microwave among ...

The Bay Motel is located in the centre of Halfmoon Bay, within easy walking distance of all amenities: shops, restaurants, post office, gym, museum, information centre and booking office. The motel offers 12 guestrooms, which are well furnished and equipped with fridge and microwave among other modern amenities. Ten of the units have fantastic views of Halfmoon Bay, while the others have views of bush-clad hills and the township.

Facilities

Barbeques (BBQ)

Laundry/Dry Cleaning Service

Photo gallery

Stewart Island

This morning you're off on a Village and Bays tour before taking a lunch cruise on Paterson Inlet, where you'll see many remote sandy beaches and wildlife. You'll stop at Ulva Island and tour with the Department of Conservation on Ulva Island's wildlife sanctuary. Learn about native birds like the Weka and spend time up close to native flora and fauna. Tonight, try your hand at a bit of kiwi-spotting in the native bush near your accommodation.

Meal Plan

Breakfast and Lunch

Day10

Stewart Island - Mt Cook

This morning you'll board a ferry and journey across Foveaux Strait, making your way back to the New Zealand mainland. Admire the rural farming views of Southland and the spectacular scenery of the Southern Alps as you travel towards Queenstown. Venture over the Lindis Pass and along the shores of Lake Pukaki into the Aoraki Mount Cook National Park. Mt. Cook, the highest mountain in the Southern Hemisphere, helped Sir Edmund Hillary hone his skills in preparation for his conquest of Everest. Tonight enjoy dinner with a breathtaking mountain view.

Hermitage Hotel

Overlooking the Mediterranean, the Hotel Hermitage epitomizes a certain carefree elegance at the highest level. Built in the early 1900s, this historic luxury hotel offers an intimate and relaxed ambiance, a haven of peace in the heart of Monte-Carlo. Gorgeous public spaces include the winter ...

Overlooking the Mediterranean, the Hotel Hermitage epitomizes a certain carefree elegance at the highest level. Built in the early 1900s, this historic luxury hotel offers an intimate and relaxed ambiance, a haven of peace in the heart of Monte-Carlo. Gorgeous public spaces include the winter garden with a soaring Art Nouveau glass-and-steel cupola, which was designed by Gustave Eiffel, and La Salle Belle Epoque, opulent with pink marble columns and Fragonard-esque frescoes. By contrast, the guestrooms in palettes of red, blue or beige, are studies in restrained elegance. The hotel is one of Monaco's main social hubs and the public spaces are always buzzing with a chic clientele.

Facilities

24 Hour Room Service

Business Centre

Gym/Fitness Centre

Non-Smoking Rooms

Pool (s)

Spa

Tennis

Water Sports

Photo gallery

Mt Cook - Christchurch

Travel to Lake Tekapo, where you'll stop to view the Church of the Good Shepherd. Later, join us at the home of Angie and Stan Taylor to enjoy a barbecue lunch in their 240 hectare garden. Then travel along the Canterbury Plains to the Garden City of Christchurch.

Overlooking Cranmer Square and situated on the edge of tranquil Hagley Park, Hotel Montreal is Christchurch's newest luxury boutique hotel. Unique in design and beautifully finished, Hotel Montreal offers accommodation that is the perfect mix of refined elegance and modern sophistication. Contemporary art, delicious food and wine are all carefully orchestrated to provide a remarkable setting for your stay in Christchurch. Hotel Montreal provides an oasis for a calm, relaxed environment with outside areas to sit in the garden, or enjoy a game of croquet.

PRICE INCLUDES:

PRICE EXCLUDES:

Travel insurance

International and domestic airfare & airfare taxes

Visa fees if applicable

Meals and beverages not mentioned

Gratuities

Items of a personal nature

TERMS AND CONDITIONS:

Prices are "from" per person based on twin/double share accommodation and for travel in low season. Seasonal surcharges and blackout dates may apply. Limited seat/spaces and all pricing is subject to change and availability. Rates for single or triple travellers are available on request - please inquire.